Tuesday, 30 October 2012

In our three years together, Mr Trifectagirl struggled to find work. Mostly because what he did in the UK requires an extra qualification here that he didn't have (but had started studing towards).

So I worked to financially supported our family while he stayed home and looked after J. As much as he loved being with J, the fact that he wasn't providing for his family in the traditional sense both frustrated and depressed him.

After various issues with his superannuation fund, including them loosing the file, I finally recieved the money he'd had put away for his retirement a couple of weeks ago.

On October 26, 2012 Mr Trifectagirl made the ultimate provision for his family - he's given us a secure roof over our head.

I am now mortgage free, which is a very bitter-sweet place to be. I was teary for a while once the reality hit and generally pretty flat for the day. I don't like why I could pay it out, but am so very grateful that he left enough so that I could.

Saturday, 13 October 2012

July 2013, when my job has finished, is looking a lot more comfortable now. Or at least having a sense of direction.

A few posts ago I wrote about deciding to apply for university entrance for post-graduate study.

Like many, I have my emails feeding to my smart phone, and was expecting to see an email offer on any given Wednesday, since post-grad offers are made on a weekly basis on Wednesdays. Add that all other communications with the tertiary admissions centre have been via email, I do not think this was an unreasonable assumption.

But a wrong assumption.

I got an old-fashioned letter in the mail on Thursday. How exciting it was to see that logo on the envelope - with a tinge of doubt that my past academic record wasn't strong enough to secure me an offer.

"I am pleased to inform you that you have been offered a place in the Master of Accounting at Flinders University commencing in Semester 1".
Yippee - I got in. This is my 4th university offer (yes, I like collecting bits of paper, just not the debt that goes with it), and it's still as exciting as the first.

Semester 1 I'll probably do one or two subjects, depending on the time-table which is released in about 6 weeks.

And when my current role ends, I can either try and find further part-time work, or shift to full time study for a while.

And when I graduate in a few years time, I'll have a full set of parchments - at least one from each Australian university in our state. I don't know why I like that idea, but I do.

Tuesday, 2 October 2012

When I moved into my house, one of the first things I bought was a second hand upright freezer. We managed to find the same model that my dad has (and must have had through a lot of my child hood), and they're both still going strong.

One blog I read, The Year of Less, does a 'month' as part of their move to a simple life. Last month was 'eat your pantry' month. This month the writer is reading a particular passage of scripture each day. They also do daily activities tossing excess hand whisks, plastic storage containers and sorting through clothing - you know, those things with the inexplicable ability to multiply like rabbits in your cupboard when you're not looking.

Yesterday I defrosted the inside freezer. The outside one is newer and thankfully doesn't need defrosting.

And once again I decided that I really, really need to knock down the contents. I do this every time I defrost.

Some of the contents was tossed due to freezer burn, but I have a lot of ready made meals, or partially made meals in there.

And broad beans I froze from the garden last year. This year's crop is already close to picking. Prombles*.

Since J and I ate the soup that defrosted yesterday as it was well and truly stuck with frost that I had no choice but to let it defrost along with the freezer, I figure an 'eat your freezer month' is in order.

Hopefully I can then consolidate to one freezer, and bring the newer non-frosting one inside and put the frosting one outside as the back-up.

So the plan is to use in a meal at least one thing from the freezer a day for October.

*this spelling is intentional. A long-standing joke from a friend's English teacher mum who had a student once write 'I have prombles with my spelling'.

About Me

These are my adventures while working on the trifecta - a great home, great relationships and a great job. I'm a 39 year old mum to a toddler after my partner and I faced male-factor infertility and subsequent IVF cycles. Following a major medical crisis, my husband passed 375 days after our June 2011 wedding and I'm now a widow juggling the everyday demands of a toddler and life.